URBANDALE, Iowa - Travis Boyd (Hopkins, Minn.) netted two goals as the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to the Des Moines Buccaneers, 7-4, here tonight.After a scoreless first period, the second stanza brought a six-goal onslaught, with each team scoring three. Danny Heath put the Buccaneers ahead, 1-0, 2:00 into the frame with a power-play goal. Just 1:37 later, Boyd tied the score with a power-play goal of his own. Rocco Grimaldi (Rossmoor, Calif.) gave Team USA the 2-1 lead just 55 seconds later with another power-play tally after his shot beat netminder Eric Mihalik. Connor Brickley knotted it up for Des Moines 19 seconds later. At 6:38, Yasin Cisse netted the second power-play marker for Des Moines to make it 3-2. With 2:25 remaining in the middle period, Boyd converted on Blake Pietila (Brighton, Mich.) feed to tie the score, 3-3.
Reid Boucher (Grand Ledge, Mich.) put the U.S. ahead 4-3 just 5:01 into the final frame after he took a feed from Michael Paliotta (Westport, Conn.) and put the puck past Mihalik. Just 26 seconds later, Brickley beat goaltender John Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa.) to knot the score once again. Brandon Carlson potted a power-play tally at 9:22 to give the Bucs the lead, one that Des Moines would not lose. H.T. Lenz scored with 4:02 remaining in regulation and Chris Stafne posted an empty-net goal with nine seconds left to account for the 7-4 final.
Gibson made 30 saves in the game.
The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns to action Dec. 11 when it meets USHL East Division opponent Youngstown Phantoms at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube at 7:05 p.m. EST.
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